Vendetta
by Thoughts in Chaos
Summary: Karl has been assigned to stop threats from within the Empire before they become greater problems. Crossing the enigmatic Council of Crows he finds himself on the run & meets a pilot with her own vendetta against the group who could hold the key to his investigation. Meanwhile, Thomas tries to prove his brother's innocence while keeping one step ahead of those wanting him silenced.
1. Steel Messenger

The large room was dimly lit, a small lamp sitting atop a large mahogany desk lighting up one corner while a wall lined with large monitors illuminated the opposite. A tall man sat in the middle of the room and was impeccably dressed, the meticulously tailored suit and the exquisite material it was made from advertising his position of extreme wealth and influence. His physique was lean, every movement fluid and denoted a subtle sense of power, and while pushing into his early fifties looked like he was a man ten years younger. Sharp amber coloured eyes displayed a cunning intelligence and were framed by ebony bangs that defied his otherwise short, clean cut hairstyle.

Taking a delicate china cup from a nearby a pedestal accent table he faced the bank of screens, each showing him a real time image of his colleagues that made up the video conference call. Instead of their actual names each was addressed by a certain colour – Red, Blue, Green and White. His own title of reference was Black, the highest of their rank. For decades they had been controlling and manipulating both the economic and political realms of the Guylos Empire from the shadows and while Gunther Prozen's grab for power almost ten years a go had managed to dent their operations initially, they had quickly overcome any obstacles and managed to gain even more of a stranglehold, though little few knew it. Together they made the elusive inner circle of the secretive Council of Crows.

"He's becoming a problem." Blue stated, his voice gruff and out of place against the mellow note of orchestral music flowing from hidden speakers, "If we don't do something now he will jeopardise everything we've accomplished."

"And just what do you propose we do?" Red asked, his soft spoken and calm demeanour seeming to further irritate his more agitated counterpart, "He's a war hero and has the complete trust of the Emperor himself."

Green was the next to speak up, voicing the obvious solution they were all thinking, "Perhaps it would be prudent if we were to eliminate him as soon as possible."

"And bring down half the army on our heads? Perhaps even the Guardian Force?" White countered, "We don't need that sort of attention."

He sipped at the hot tea, a thin trail of steam wafting up from its surface, "Calm yourselves, I already have something in motion to deal with the Colonel in due time. Green, where are we on the plans to reacquire the asset?"

His face was replaced by a series of satellite images and other long distance, covert photographs, the subject being a bipedal black and silver zoid. "Tracking has presented its own challenges as you know, its near constant travel through mostly isolated territory makes it hard to keep tabs on, but it appears our bait in the Valley of Heroes has hooked this particular fish," he replied, "I do believe that it is slowly becoming less alert since we have ceased all attempts to capture it over the past year."

Black allowed himself the ghost of a smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth, everything was going smoothly. By the time the trap was sprung it would be too late to escape.

"If I may, Black, what do you propose we do with the pilot?"

"The pilot is of no consequence," he answered, "Once we have the asset back, eliminate them."

"But the pilot is-"

"Irrelevant." He placed his cup on its saucer and laced his fingers together as he turned his full attention to Green, "The only thing that matters is reclaiming what's ours and this has dragged on long enough. I trust I make myself perfectly clear."

"Crystal."

"Excellent. We will convene again once all the pieces are in place. Good evening, gentlemen."

The four monitors went black as the connection was cut...

* * *

The trio of Redlers began their descent, breaking through thick clouds that threatened to open up with a storm at any moment towards the destination below. Colonel Karl Shubaltz looked down to his right and caught sight of several sets of large blast doors that were built into the bottom of a cliff face and a couple on the tablelands above. Inside was an isolated research facility that belonged to a conglomerate known as Tamsett Industries, possibly the largest company in the Empire that specialised in creating new Zoids and top of the line modifications. As a result they were the go to people for the military when it came to having the very best of just about everything imaginable for decades.

It almost came to an end as the Tamsett family line had suffered a series of misfortunes. Sixteen years a go Aspen Tamsett, the son and heir apparent to the company, had disappeared while sailing his personal yacht. A mere year later the patriarch Greyson Tamsett and his teenage daughter had been involved in a fatal accident whilst visiting one of the company's research centres, though the girl's body had never been recovered. All that had been found was a few scorched bones that couldn't be identified, so it was assumed that the subsequent fire after the explosion had burned away whatever there might have been to find. The CEO's death had left a power struggle within the board of directors until his son had miraculously reappeared, and through a series of impressive corporate manoeuvres had taken the helm that was his birthright.

As they began to land the one set of thick steel doors opened just as the wind started to pick up. A small group of ramp agents came out to meet them, directing the Redlers to specific bays in the cavernous hanger that had been built into the rock and served as the main entry for the research facility.

"Seems like we got here just in time," Lancaster commented as a crack of rolling thunder sounded off just before the blast doors sealed shut, "I guess the storm season is here."

"Along with the welcoming committee," Kingsley added, nodding his head in the direction of a man who approached them and was clearly the man in charge. The director of the facility smiled and held out his hand to the three soldiers.

"Eros Allen. It is both a pleasure and an honour to meet you, Colonel."

Karl took up the offered handshake firmly as did his two officers while introductions of his two subordinates, Jon Lancaster and Reuben Kingsley, and the usual pleasantries were exchanged. The director led them down several corridors and stopped at the doors of an elevator, the Colonel's eyes briefly glancing up at the numbers that briefly lit up as the car ascended. When it arrived with a cheerful chime the doors slid open and the four men filed inside and Eros fished out a pass card from his pocket, sliding it into the reader and pressed a button for one of the lower floors when it was recognised.

When they reached their destination the doors opened to a large hanger and in the middle was a large black and red Tyrannosaur. It gave Karl an unpleasant reminder of the Geno Breaker and the terror the rogue pilot Raven had caused only a few years a go before they found themselves immersed in even bigger problems.

"Gentlemen, I present to you the Devastator," Eros proclaimed proudly, "It is a combination of Ancient Zoidian designs that were discovered and studying the Deathsaurer's remains."

"What makes it any different from something like a Geno Breaker?" Kingsley asked as he and Lancaster wandered around it while taking in its size and the array of heavy weaponry it was armed with. Two massive long ranged cannons rested on its back, the end of the barrels passing over either side of the zoid's head with a missile pod affixed on top of them, capable of carrying a payload of a full dozen warheads, and two smaller beam cannons had been attached to the side of each arm.

"It far surpasses the Geno Breaker in everything from the shields to its charged particle cannon," Allen replied, though not without a subtle note of smugness before becoming serious, "With everything that's happened over the past few years, we thought it prudent to create something that could not only merely slow down something like the Deathsaurer or Death Stinger, but stop it in its tracks."

"That's a bold claim," Karl commented. The subtle shift in the director's body language at his unconvinced tone didn't go unnoticed by the Colonel, as if the other man had taken offence to his scepticism. But sceptic he was and nothing but a real test would change his view; it was one thing to say it could beat such a monster, entirely another to actually prove it. "What do you have to be able to back up something like that?"

"The Organoid Operating System, or OOS For short." As he approached the dormant zoid he waved his hand somewhat dismissively, "I won't bore you with all the complex science behind it, but in essence it's similar to having an organoid fused with the core, making the Devastator not only faster, stronger and more agile but easier to operate at a level the pilot in question can safely handle. Which is the reason you're out here today, Colonel. Today is the day of the Devastator's first field test, and as one of the people who were present against both Deathsaurer battles, we would like you to observe and report what we have to offer our great and mighty Imperial army."

_He's laying it on a bit thickly_, Karl thought to himself, but the sooner these tests were done the sooner they could head back. He had more pressing matters that needed his attention, but some of the higher ups had been insistent that he was the one who had to be their representative here today.

It had only been three years after the defeat of resurrected Deathsaurer, but with human nature being what it is it wasn't long until festering resentments, greed and a lust for power subtlety reared its head amongst those who had the means and ambition to try and seize it. Tasked by the young Emperor Rudolf himself, he was now in charge of seeking out any and all threats that came from within the Empire and stop them before they became a large scale problem. With both military resources and almost complete free reign to achieve his goals in any manner he chose the success rate of his task force had been a rapid one.

It had also led him to having an increasing list of enemies who wanted to see him dead.

His latest quarry had proven to be the most challenging by far. Most of the leads they had were tenuous at best, the only thing known for a solid fact was that a group called the Council of Crows were behind some very serious crimes involving people of wealth and influence across the Empire they had investigated over the past several months. Whoever these people were they were good at covering their tracks, but no-one could hide indefinitely. He would find these people and bring them down.

The test pilot appeared and they shook hands, wishing the man a successful and safe test run. A warning siren sounded throughout the hanger letting any staff know to stay clear of the launch platform as the prototype marched into position with heavy steps and the large elevator ascended to the surface as Eros led his guests to the nearby control room to oversee the gauntlet of challenges that were to come.

"Are you sure its wise to do this in the middle of a thunderstorm?" Lancaster asked.

"It's perfectly safe, I assure you," the director replied, "We take a lot of measures to make sure that this unit is well protected against electrical surges."

And so the display was under way. The first designed in showcasing the Geno Devastator's speed and manoeuvrability first with a set of surprise obstacles. The second was how well it could defend and deal with an array of anti zoid defences that any military base worth its salt would have, and then some. The third test was for combat as wave after wave of remotely controlled zoids attempted to swarm it, trying to overwhelm the superior machine. First were the most common types of zoids for both the Empire and the Republic such as Godos', Guysacks, Molgas and Rev Raptors. The second consisted of heavier hitters of Dark Horns, Iron Kongs, Gordos' and even a few Mammoths. It tore through all of its targets with ease, leaving a smoking trail of wreckage in its wake.

As the final face off against four manually piloted Gojulas units was about to take place an uneasy ripple worked its way through the control room as the new zoid suddenly roared. Setting its feet firmly it leaned forward and straightened its tail while opening its jaws, revealing the barrel of the charged particle gun.

"What are you doing? Cease fire immediately!"

"I can't," the pilot's voice came over the speakers, sounding increasingly anxious as the blast began to charge up, "Something is wrong, the system isn't responding."

"Hit the kill switch!" Eros barked at a nearby assistant.

"It's not working!"

He made a noise of frustration and panic, "The particle gun shouldn't even be online yet!"

"Get those pilots out of there then start your emergency and evacuation procedures," Karl ordered, taking control of the rapidly deteriorating situation. It was clear the director was no use under this sort of unpredicted pressure. "Allen, what have you got that can give us any chance of bringing that thing down?"

"There are a couple of modified Zaber Fangs and a Lightning Saix in development," he replied while watching the monitor as the cannon fired and obliterated the four enormous zoids, "However they haven't been fully tested yet."

"What sort of modifications?"

"Better weapons, speed boosts, that sort of thing." This couldn't be happening, not now.

Karl seized a fistful of his shirt, forcing the bewildered man to focus on him, "Where?"

The klaxon was blaring and staff running from on place to another going through their emergency protocols as the three soldiers rushed for the zoid bays that the director had instructed them to where the mentioned Lightning Saix and two Zaber Fangs stood ready and waiting. Ordering Kingsley and Lancaster into the two tigers and taking the super fast panther for himself the trio headed for the launch platform. The whole facility shook as the out of control prototype thundered around above as it rapidly lifted the three zoids to the surface. The blast doors overhead opened hurriedly and the platform came to a sudden halt just as the tyrannosaur turned around and fired off its particle cannon again, causing the three to scatter to avoid being hit. Karl spared a split second glance at the glowing red trench left in the beam's wake; great, not only was the destructive weapon operational but it could move while using it. He really didn't like the odds they now faced; modified or not, it would be a tall order to take the damnable thing out.

"What's the plan, Sir?"

"We need to first lure it away from the facility so the staff can get out of here safely," he answered, firing at the berserking zoid to get its attention and narrowly escaping the return volley. "Kingsley, give me a direction."

"There's a large canyon a few kilometres out. Maybe we can herd it over there and keep it occupied."

The pair of Zaber Fangs followed the Lightning Saix's lead, flanking the Devastator on either side and trying to keep its attention divided. The modified zoid was indeed faster than the standard unit, but the manoeuvrability felt like it had been sacrificed somewhat to obtain it as he dodged and weaved as artillery fell around him, more than a few rounds being far too close for comfort. For all their effort the machine seemed to have a fixation on the Colonel as it evaded their attacks with surprising agility for something so large. Lancaster dropped behind slightly, lining up every piece of heavy weaponry the Zaber Fang possessed on the joint of the Devastator's right knee. If he could immobilise it maybe they stood a better chance of taking it out.

"Kingsley!"

He gasped on horror as it suddenly stopped, the artillery barely missing it only to make a direct hit on his comrade on the other side. With a roar the second Zaber Fang fell, tumbling over itself in a heap before skidding to a halt in the mud.

"I'm alright," came the frustrated reply, "But the zoid isn't. I'm in a command freeze here."

The distraction was quick but something the tyrannosaur took advantage of. Launching a clawed hand at Lancaster and ensnaring a rear leg a huge electrical surge was sent through the steel cable, taking it out of the chase as well. The Colonel was on his own.

With no more interference the Devastator was free to focus the entirety of its deadly arsenal on the remaining Lightning Saix and Karl knew he was at a disadvantage. His zoid of preference was usually his Iron Kong, even though the gorilla was something much slower it was far better armed than what he currently had. Because of the speed the pulse rifles on its back couldn't rotate, otherwise the shifting weight would unbalance the Saix, and at this speed it would more than likely kill him. The canyon was just ahead when a chaotic barrage fell all around him, the strafing abilities of the Saix its saving grace as he dodged left and right to avoid being hit. A second round went off and then a third and Karl realised what was going on; _he_ was the one that was being herded toward the ravine. The damnable machine was targeting him on purpose, it had been from the start.

He had been set up.

With no other way but forward he push the mech to its limits and was thrown roughly back into the seat as hit bolted forward. If he could clear the gap maybe he had a chance of getting on the offensive from the other side, so far the other zoid hadn't displayed any abilities to hover for brief periods of time like the Geno Breaker was able to. His face was a mask of grim determination as the edge rapidly approached as Karl continued to evade the deadly hail raining down around him, but his luck was about to run out.

Just as the Saix was about to make its Hail Mary leap a massive blast streaked towards it, taking out both of its left legs when it again tried to dodge the attack. It fell down into the darkness, striking several jagged outcroppings before finally crashing in a twisted heap of bent and broken metal on a narrow ledge at the bottom on the opposite side of the gorge, precariously close violent waters of a river swollen with weeks of torrential rain. For a long minute there was no signs of movement before the canopy opened, and with a groan he managed to unfasten the buckle of the safety harness and immediately tumbled out onto the hard packed dirt and rock.

The Devastator leapt down after him, the earth shaking mightily under its weight. He could hear the particle cannon charging up and it sent a chilling bolt of terror through his gut as he scrambled to the edge and plunged into the rapids. His odds in the water might be slim, but they were a damn sight better than the alternative. The beam lit up the ravine in a brilliant, blinding blue white light and consumed the Lightning Saix, leaving nothing but a deep and ominous trench through the rock that steamed and hissed as the river claimed the new space. The tyrannosaur stood there for a few moments watching the river and emitted a snarl before inexplicably shutting down.

Standing on the ledge above one of the damaged Zaber Fangs had managed to get to its feet, the pilot looking down on the scene with a satisfied smirk while twirling a small electronic device between his fingers. Pulling up the command for the encrypted communication system he entered a code, then waited for the recipient on the other end to answer.

"It's done."

Thousands of miles away in Guygalos, Black looked down at the small holographic monitor in the middle of his desk, elbows resting on the edge and fingers loosely laced together. "Are you absolutely certain?"

"Even if he did managed to get out of the Saix, there's no way he could have survived a trip through those rapids, Sir. Especially during the storm season."

His eyes narrowed dangerously at the image of his agent, "Do not fall into the trappings of hubris, Captain. Until a body is found do not assume anything."

"Yes, Sir," he stammered, the hard edge of the reprimand unnerving him and looked decidedly relieved when he was dismissed.

While it was highly unlikely that Shubaltz could have survived, he wouldn't count on it as a sure thing. They would comb every inch of that river if they had to, he couldn't afford a man of the Colonel's unwavering loyalty to the Emperor popping up unexpectedly. Standing up he crossed the room to the enormous window in the monolithic tower of steel and glass and peered down on the panoramic view beyond. Guygalos stretched out before him, from the poorest slums to the Imperial palace itself, and soon it would be all belong to him.

* * *

_Hey all. Decided to take a foray into something other than the wrestling fandom here, it's been way too long since my last attempt outside that little realm and in all honesty I needed a break from it. So why not a break that involves awesome giant, animal and dinosaur looking mechs battling it out?_

_Brief edit - Was reading another Zoids story by ArmoredAce after I posted this and noted that a Geno Destroyer is involved over there (here I was hoping to be original), so out of respect my antagonist zoid will be renamed to the Devastator._


	2. First Impressions

_'It's tearing straight through us!'_

_'Get yourselves together, it's only one Zoid! Box it in and we'll blow it back to wherever it came from.'_

The pilot smirked at the panic the bandits had been thrown into, they hadn't been expecting a pre dawn strike and their security was lax at best. Four of their number were already out of commission and things were just getting started. Allowing the Zoid to be herded, the sensors alerted the pilot's presence to another three that were giving chase; two Heldigunners and a Command Wolf. The pair of iguanas quickly burrowed underground as the wolf attacked, its prey easily sidestepping out of the line of fire.

'_Its too fast, I can't get a proper lock._' The bandit began to fire indiscriminately in hopes that one would finally hit until an alarm blared through his cockpit, warning him that the hostile had it's own lock on him. A trio of missiles streaked across the sky, the first two narrowly missing the Command Wolf only to get nailed by the third, hitting it squarely in its left side and leaving it down for the count.

'_We'll see how fast it is when its missing a – I missed!_'

The pilot of one of the resurfacing Heldigunners began to panic at the mass of black and chrome that was baring down on it. A barrage of small pulse cannon fire pinned it down as it closed in, then scythe like talons and claws tore through the armour with little effort causing irreparable damage. The second burst through the ground, the blades in its tail narrowly missing as the enemy dodged at the last second. As it circled around for another attack a heavy weight came crashing down on the back of his Zoid and was ripped apart in a similar fashion to its partner.

A volley of mortars exploded around them and the pilot's attention was bought to the last one standing – a Red Horn bristling with heavy weaponry. With a squeal of metal the smaller Zoid's talons came loose as it leapt from its fallen prey.

"So those villagers finally grew a spine and hired someone to try and take us out? Let's see you get out of this."

The Red Horn roared as its massive guns adjusted to line up the smaller, unusual looking raptor and cut loose, the mass of high velocity rounds kicking up a screen of dust and dirt. He smirked, there was surely no way anyone could have moved fast enough to avoid that. As he waited for the dust and smoke to clear so he could confirm he had indeed hit his mark the warning alarms screamed at him, but where was it coming from?

"Trying? Please, you're all way too slow."

He grunted as a weight slammed down from above, how could it have even jumped that high? In desperation the Red Horn shook wildly from side to side, trying to dislodge its attacker and succeeded only once the Gatling Cannon had been ripped away. While the larger Zoid had the armour it was no match for smaller one's speed and the skill of the pilot. The close combat favoured the use of the raptor's claws, darting away when the styracosaurus managed to turn only to close in somewhere else to inflict its damage, finally forcing it into a command system freeze and collapse.

"Pathetic." The raptor's foot came to rest on the side of the fallen Red Horn's neck and the large inner talon ripped its way through in a sadistic manner. "Thinking that just because you have the opportunity to pilot a Zoid you can use it to terrorise those who have no real means of defending themselves, but can't even stand up to a real fight when it finally comes and finds you." The Raptor continued its assault until it was clear there was no way the other Zoid would get up. Fore-claws reached for the head, tearing the canopy open to reveal the now frightened and stunned outlaw. "Start running, amateur hour is over."

He didn't need to be told twice as shaky hands scrambled for the buckle on his harness and climbed out of the cockpit, landing unceremoniously on his behind before taking off without concern or care for his comrades.

"Bandits," the pilot muttered while watching the retreating figure, "They're like roaches. You want to go squash him for the hell of it?"

The raptor growled lowly before turning around and heading back to the nearby colony. They had done their job and now it was time to get paid, the villagers could pick over the wrecks to their heart's content.

Twenty minutes later the colony came into view. It was a relatively small place, blink and you'd miss it, and the pilot idly wondered why the rag-tag gang of thugs had even bothered with it in the first place. The zoid slowed from its casual run to an ambling walk as a small group stood waiting by the side of the main road, the mech finally coming to a halt a few feet away from them. One of them stepped forward, the man who had been elected leader of the quaint, sleepy little town as a woman dropped down from the cockpit.

"Are they really gone?" he asked, somewhat nervously.

"Of course," the pilot replied confidently, "If you're smart, you'll see if the wrecks I left behind are salvageable. If you can get them up and running you'll have more than enough defence for the future."

He appeared thoughtful as he pondered the idea. They had been attacked in the past over the years but had never quite had the means to buy even one zoid for some form of protection, let alone more. Still, if what was left behind was indeed serviceable, maybe that could finally change. With his mind made up he nodded resolutely.

"Thank you for agreeing to help us," he said and handed over a bulky envelope, "As you requested, the bounty is in a mix of smaller bills."

Pulling out the wad of cash the mercenary counted the amount, a force of habit that had long since been ingrained. Satisfied it was all accounted for she offered up a casual salute as she turned and left. "Pleasure doing business with you."

* * *

Water ran down the groves and crevices of black coloured armour while mud churned underfoot as the raptor walked along the shallow end of the river bed. Tall trees towered over either side of the bank, supplying cover from prying eyes in the sky if it were needed. After the morning's skirmish the day had been uneventful as they travelled north, though that was to be expected when one not only wandered off the beaten path but actively avoided it.

The afternoon was closing in on the evening before she found a spot that looked a good place to set up camp for the night. The canopy opened and she jumped down, taking a moment to enjoy the fresh are after having been in the cockpit for hours. Walking under the belly of the mechanical beast she opened up a small storage compartment that held the essentials – portable gas burner, some utensils, food and a bed roll. Her eye caught sight of the long metal case that rested in the back of the space and lingered a little before closing it up.

The sun sank into the horizon as she ate a rather bland MRE ration, the brilliant flaming orange sky began to mellow into dusky red to the sound of insects and nocturnal wildlife waking up mixed in a natural symphony. It was quite the relaxing setting until the sharp ping of the zoid's proximity sensors brought her back to full alert. Slowly sitting up into a crouch, her right hand wandered toward the grip of a pistol that was strapped to her thigh and unclipped the leather strap that kept it in its holster as the left reached over to extinguish the bright blue flame of the gas burner. Eyes roamed across the darkening surroundings, trying to figure out just where and what had set off the warning.

The approach was neither stealthy or subtle and certainly not what she was expecting. A solitary man stumbled out of the increasing darkness, clearly injured and exhausted. Carefully she approached him, not entirely convinced that this wasn't some sort of ruse.

"Guygalos," he managed to get out, "Need.. to get to... Guygalos."

The capitol? She couldn't go there, it would be suicide.

With that he passed out and fell forward, unable to keep on his feet any longer and she caught him out of impulse. Struggling under his dead weight she eventually managed to get him propped up against the foot of the raptor and took a good look at this new entity. His face was bruised and scratched up while damp, dishevelled blond hair was bloodied just above his left temple. Nimble fingers unbuttoned the clasps on his torn coat, finding more of the same underneath his uniform. What did this guy do, fall out of a tree and hit every branch on the way down?

After retrieving a small first aid kit she patched him up as best as she could with the supplies on hand by the light of a battery operated lantern. After checking for any broken bones and finding none she cleaned the mud, dirt and blood away from his face, unable to help the vague sense of familiarity about him that bugged her. He was Imperial military, his now ruined uniform was clear enough on that, and if she had to hazard a guess a man of relatively high rank if the remaining bars on his chest were anything to go by. She was certain she would have remembered if they had met personally, but that certainly wasn't it, she made a point to steer clear of anyone resembling an authority figure. Perhaps she had seen his picture somewhere before.

Pulling out a spare blanket she wrapped him up then rested on her haunches for a minute, wondering what to do with him and just where he had come from. There wasn't a town, farm or village for miles, let alone any sort of army base; at least none that she knew of. So how did he get here? While there was no way she was going near Guygalos she would do the decent thing and at least get him to the next village. After that he was on his own. However...

"If he tries anything shifty, feel free to step on him," she said while looking up at the raptor standing vigil over both of them, smiling a little as it growled in understanding. Satisfied she reached over and turned off the lantern before settling down for the night, making sure her gun was within easy reach should she need it...

Green eyes slowly opened to the greying sky as dawn slowly began to creep in. Where was he, and how did he get here?

These thoughts were brusquely pushed aside by the pounding in his skull and he bought a hand up to the side of his head to find it had been firmly bandaged up. The headache was quickly followed by other aches and pains with the worst appearing to be concentrated in his chest. Raising his head a little Karl discovered he had been stripped to the waist, his boots removed and placed close by along with his shirt. His left bicep and been bandaged and the occasional plaster smoothed over his grazed and bruised skin. He tried to sit up and instinctively the hand that had been at his head wrapped around his ribs, a sharp hiss slipping through his teeth.

"You need to take it a little more slowly."

He turned his head a little too sharply but fought against the impulse to cradle it again. His attention landed on a woman, somewhere around his own age if her were to guess, with piercing amber eyes and thick, dark red hair tied up in a long pony tail. She was dressed mainly in black, white accents running down the length of her pants and the sleeves of her jacket over a grey cotton shirt. Black markings ran under her right eye, a thick line with a sharp corner that started near the bridge of her nose and tapered off into a point as it hooked upwards following the line of the socket. A second, slimmer line ran along the bottom of the larger one, a mimic of the bigger mark. It was something he had seen before...

"Took me a while to put a face to the name, but you're Colonel Shubaltz, right?" He nodded slowly as he pulled on his shirt, still trying to get his bearings. "Here, you've been out for a while."

She held out a water canteen for him and the mere sight of it making him realised just how parched he was. He took it gratefully, slugging it back until the tin was empty. He hadn't meant to drink the whole thing but a quick glance at his impromptu carer suggested she didn't seem to mind and wandered down to the grassy bank and refilled it.

"Who are you?"

"Sierra," she supplied, "What happened to have you looking like you were on the losing end of an argument with a Gojulas?"

"How did I get here?" Karl asked, clearly sidestepping the question, both unwilling to disclose the information and curious as to how he came to be where he was.

"You stumbled out of those bushes over there and almost got yourself shot," She replied after studying him a moment, gesturing with a thumb over her shoulder where he had come through the underbrush and seemingly nonplussed about his lack of an answer to her own question. She probably wouldn't want to know the details anyway. His stomach suddenly growled, so leaning over to her left she picked up a rucksack and rummaged around, pulling out a fresh green apple and handed it over.

He took the fruit with a small word of thanks, eating it slowly as the hazy memories floated back to him. He remembered the tumultuous ride through the rapids and almost drowning, barely able to keep his head above water before finally being washed up on the bank followed by his forced march through the forest until collapsing as he passed out.

He needed to get back to Guygalos quickly and find out who exactly had set him up, or at least the nearest command post so he could report in.

"Where are you headed?"

"Valley of Heroes."

The answer piqued his interest. In a joint gesture between the government and a few industry leaders the old competition grounds had seen a lot of work over the past year or so for a return to the tradition of zoid battle contests. "For the tournament?"

"You could say that," she replied vaguely as he gazed up at the zoid that stood over them.

It looked similar to a Rev Raptor, though it was slightly larger and didn't possess the trademark blades on its back. In their place was a pair of pulse laser rifles and a small missile pod. The claws were larger and the two inner talons on it's feet appeared to be denser, possibly constructed of a different alloy. Either way he certainly wouldn't want them trying to tear through at his own zoid, they looked like they'd be quite effective at it. The armour was light and didn't look as if it could sustain much heavy fire, leading him to assume it relied more on high speed and quick reflexes over enduring a beating. Piloting like that took a certain degree of skill, and considering the good condition it was in it seemed to be something that she definitely possessed.

"Well, it's time to get going." She stood up and stretched languidly before rapping gloved knuckles against black coloured metal. To Karl's surprise the raptor suddenly moved on its own, lowering itself so its head was close to the ground and the canopy hissed open.

That was a new one.

"Give me a second to clear the stuff of the back seat. It's not often we have an extra travelling with us," she called out over her shoulder as he slipped his boots on, his eyes falling to the sidearm strapped firmly to her thigh and the brief flash of a small knife sheathed on the back of her belt. A well armed and customised high performance zoid along a pilot who apparently took personal safety very seriously. Just what sort of person was he getting involved with here? And who was this 'we'?

"All set. You ready?"

Karl nodded, feeling the aching, bruised stiffness in his muscles when he gingerly climbed into the cockpit. It was a stark contrast to the fluid grace with which Sierra vaulted into the seat in front of him and took the controls, the raptor rising to its full height and set off through the trees. As much as she wanted to it wasn't wise to continue trekking through the water, it would probably come off as a little suspicious and the last thing Sierra wanted to play was a game of Twenty Qestions.

After a while the rhythmic motion of the zoid's casual stride started to lull Karl into a doze, his head lolling to one side of the cushioned headrest. Letting him sleep was something Sierra was more than happy to do, she had never been overly good at small talk. In fact it felt completely foreign to having a second person along for the ride. Her hand wandered over to the right side of the controls and hit a few buttons, bringing up a map of the area for the next few hundred miles. There appeared to be another colony about a day's travel from where they were, even less if she picked up the pace. After mapping out the quickest route the destination was set; the sooner she could unload the sleeping soldier, the better.

By the time Karl woke up the forest had given way to what looked like farmland. As far as the eye could see stretched miles of fields full of wheat that were not quite ready for harvest, the long, slender green stems swaying gently in the breeze outside. Looking up in the sky the sun was playing hide and seek amongst the patches of clouds, though none looked heavy enough to bring promises of rain. He hadn't slept that long in years, and all it had taken was for some crazy prototype zoid to try and kill him.

"Where are we?"

"A couple of hours away from a place called Traveller's Rest," Sierra replied, "You'll be able to call whoever you answer to and tell them you're in one piece."

Karl was silent for a time, simply watching as the picturesque landscape passed by. She may have patched him up, but apparently she didn't care for his company. Understandable, if his hunch was correct. Speaking of...

"So, what's a Republic sniper doing in Imperial territory?"

"I'm not Republic."

"Really?" His attention turned from the view to stare at the reflection of her face in the reinforced glass, "The markings under your eye say different, even if they are the wrong colour."

"I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours."

"It's classified."

"How convenient."

Silence reigned again in the confined space, heavy and uneasy as neither clearly trusted the other. Karl found it interesting that while she denied being a Republican she didn't refute the part about being a sniper. It could possible that she wasn't military, the colour of the mark should be a dark blue but Sierra's was black. But if she wasn't, then why the tattoo? Was it in honour of someone? A reminder? A promise?

He was jolted out of his mental line of questioning as the raptor came to a sudden halt, causing him to hiss a little as he was jostled around. Damn his chest hurt, but at least nothing was broken.

"Why are we stopping?"

Leaning over to peer at the road ahead he got his answer. A tractor and its rather large trailer had gotten stuck in the ditch along the side of the road, marks in the soft, damp earth hinting that it had given way. An older man was staring at the situation while a younger one had wandered in front of them waving his arms over his head, grinning a little when the zoid stopped. When her hand moved and brought up a command to scan for inferred signatures a curious look crossed Karl's face but refrained from saying anything. Paranoid much?

"Hey, think you can give us a hand? We're in a bit of a jam here as you can see," he called, straining his neck to look up, appearing to become a little unnerved at the drawn out stillness, "Hello?"

"What do you need me to do?" Sierra asked as her voice carried over an external speaker, the set of the young man's shoulders relaxing.

"We just need you to pull us out," he replied, "We have rope and everything, just need the strength of something with enough power to move it."

The raptor stepped over him and to the front of the tractor, turning around so it faced it. Lowering itself it opened its jaws as one of the farmers hurried around and threw a large length of the rope into its mouth before giving her the thumbs up. Carefully the jaws closed, making sure there was enough pressure to keep a hold of the line but not enough to sever it, and slowly began to walk backwards when one of them got behind the wheel. Mud and grass flew into the air as the large tires span in place before lurching forward as it was pulled out and back onto the road.

"Thanks a lot, you've just saved us from a huge headache."

"No problem."

The pair waved as the zoid continued onwards. The small stop adding even more questions to the ones Karl already had and he rubbed at his temples, he was getting a headache. A paranoid, somewhat aloof stranger that may or may not have military training, yet would lend a hand to complete strangers. It seemed a little contradictory.

As the settlement came into view Sierra felt a familiar tension begin to rise as the grip she had around the controls tightened. She didn't want to go there, too many eyes and loose tongues, even if she hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Crows in almost a year. What were they up to, anyway? Had He finally figured out the system her raptor carried, or had He created something better? The chase had been going for so many years now it was hard to believe that they would all of a sudden just give up and go home.

"Everything alright?"

She may have just imagined it, but it almost sounded like a hint of concern in the Colonel's voice. She shrugged off the plaguing doubts, forcing a nonchalant confidence she didn't feel. "I'm fine."

Their approach was heralded by a few of the local children; the sleek, fierce looking raptor was way cooler than the occasional Gustav that would roll into town. The zoid came to a stop in front of what passed for the council office of the colony and once again lowered its body, the canopy opening up and Karl climbed out, ignoring the sharp jolt to his bruised chest as best he could.

"I appreciate the help," he said, "When I get back to Guygalos I can organise something for your assistance."

"No need for that," she replied, already itching to make tracks, "Take care of yourself, Colonel."

He stayed a moment and watched the raptor leave before turning to head into the building. Neither one could have ever imagined the events that would soon unfold to throw them together in a fight for both their lives.


	3. Shots In the Dark

Thomas leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, digesting everything Karl had just told him about what happened after the disastrous test at the research facility. He had been understandably concerned and worried over his brother's brief disappearance, and both relieved and surprised to hear just where he had turned up. It had been a lot of ground to cover in just two days. What was more interesting to him though was the person who had taken him there. Karl watched his younger sibling begin to pace slowly, waiting for Thomas to gather his thoughts.

"Are you sure they were Republic markings?"

Karl nodded firmly, "I've seen them before, years a go not long after I had enlisted. As you know, the encounter was... challenging."

Thomas remembered the story well. Six months into his service Karl and a Republic soldier had each other in a three day long stalemate before reinforcements had arrived. Thanks to his actions the enemy hadn't been able to get past him and complete whatever mission he had been sent to do. It was the first in many encounters that would shape Karl's career and swiftly elevate him through the ranks.

"It seems a little convenient, don't you think? The Tournament just around the corner and with Rudolph and all those guests in attendance? Seems like a combination for sure fire trouble if you ask me."

"I have to concur with the Captain, this seems like too much to be more than mere coincidence."

At the sound of the gruff, somewhat gravelly voice the pair immediately snapped to attention. An older man stood on the doorway's threshold, his immaculate uniform adorned with an array of bars and stripes identifying his rank of General. Steely grey eyes appraised the Shubaltz brothers a moment before nodding at the pair, "At ease. Good to see you in one piece, Colonel."

"Thank you, Sir."

"I've read your report," The General began, clasping his hands behind his back, "You were right about your estimation, Shubaltz, although I'm afraid it's worse than that."

Worse? How could it be worse? "What do you mean, General?"

"This Sierra has been linked with several assassinations of high level officials and even a few influential civilians over the past decade. Unfortunately the woman herself seems to be somewhat of an enigma that Intelligence hasn't been able to solve. At best we estimate that she has had some level of special ops training, though the Republicans deny any such soldier fitting your description." He appeared thoughtful a second before coming to some sort of internal resolution and turned his attention back to Karl. "I know you're eager to get back to your assignment but I feel this needs to take priority, especially as we don't know who the intended target is. I'm ordering your unit to mobilise and increase the security detail during the games while the Emperor and is in attendance. You will be leaving first thing in the morning."

"Understood, Sir."

The General snapped off a crisp salute to which the brothers responded with their own and left them to their own devices. Heading out of he building and into a car that was waiting for him. As it pulled out into traffic he reached for a button the bought up the dividing partition and made a call. A moment later it was answered and he found himself looking into familiar, emotionless amber eyes.

"How is the young Colonel?"

"A few scrapes and bruises, but otherwise fit for duty. I've just informed him that Panzer Division will be sent to bolster security." Leaning back into the seat he pulled out a cigar. After cutting the end he retrieved a small book of matches and lit up, "Are you sure this is wise, Black?" he asked in an exhale of smoke, "If Shubaltz finds out the truth, it could cause complications."

The image in front of him clasped his hands together, eyes briefly closing and silent as he pondered the question. "I'll admit there is a certain amount of risk to it," he replied, turning his attention back to his comrade, "I hadn't expected the Colonel to survive, let alone be found by our prey. However despite this setback I still believe the odds are in our favour. Having the army do our job for us will bring a certain advantage, since up until now we've had to work under a certain measure of discretion. The army will have no such concerns to trouble them, will they?"

"No, they will not," he agreed, "The Imperial army is always ready to defend against any threat, whether it be from beyond our borders or from within."

"Excellent." A cold, calculated smile stretched across Black's face, "I'll see you in a few days."

The image blinked out as the call ended and Black settled back into a plush leather chair as his mind meticulously played over the events of the past few days. His mole had hit the remote killswitch far too early, something that displeased him to no end. While failure was usually met with swift reprimand, the Captain still had his uses since Shubaltz was still alive, even if it were just to keep a closer eye on the Colonel. Then there was the issue of that insufferable pilot.

This chase had been going on for years, yet still she managed to stay one step ahead. Sometimes by the mere skin of her teeth and not without him taking a pound of flesh in some form, but remained just out of reach all the same. His hands slowly curled into fists as his irritation began to rise until he caught it and took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down; such thinking would only be counter-productive. A light buzz sounded from the intercom, helping to bring him back into the here and now.

"Mister Page is here to see you, Sir."

"Thank you, Annette, send him in."

A man entered the luxurious office, roughly fifteen years his junior dressed in a crisp grey suit with clear blue eyes and light brown hair. Black offered him a seat with a small gesture of his hand.

"Please tell me you have something I can feed the army, Damien," he said, his faux concern acted so well it came across as genuine, "As you can imagine, they're none to pleased that one of our projects almost killed three of their officers."

"I do," the younger man replied, "Though you're not going to like it, Aspen..."

* * *

The City of Wind had seen a lot of redevelopment in the past few years and had become a popular tourist destination, especially with the upcoming inaugural Royal Tournament. While the battlegrounds themselves were actually several miles away, this would be the place where the opening and closing ceremonies would be held.

Dressed in attire more in line with the local fashion sense and identity obscured by a headscarf, Sierra moved casually through the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Having left her zoid safely hidden away a few kilometres from town she was free to scope out her surrounds with relative piece of mind, but was habitually aware to be on the lookout for unwanted shadows. Her attention was focused on one particular building where the Emperor and a handful of esteemed guests would be watching over the festivities that would kick things off in just a couple of days. Even now the security close to the VIP section was well guarded, which was understandable considering who would be in attendance.

A small café sat across the road from the grounds and Sierra found a quiet corner to observe the structure a little more closely while sipping at a strong espresso. Places such as these were always good for picking up little tidbit of information here and there, a lot of people weren't as quiet or perceptive to their surroundings as they should be. Her camping was about to pay off as two men strolled through the door and took a table a few feet from her own. Apparently things were going to get a whole lot tougher.

"Did you hear?" one of two off duty guards say to his friend after placing their lunch orders, "First Panzer Division are on their way here to help with security."

"What for? It's not like we have a personnel shortage."

"Can't say for certain, but word on the grapevine is that whoever fished the Colonel out of the river was some sort of assassin."

"That's crazy. No professional in their right mind would do that." Their food arrived and the man loaded his fork with a slice of tender steak, "I think it's just all about showing off."

"You're probably right," his friend agreed and tucked into his sandwich, their conversation turning to different topics.

Leaving some money behind to cover her expenses Sierra got up and left, she had all she needed to know. So the good Colonel was not only back on his feet but already on the move. She had to admit she was mildly impressed, it had only been a couple of days so he still had to be somewhat bruised and banged up. Briefly she considered abandoning her plans but shook her head, a chance like this may never come along again and she needed to take it. Panzer Division or not, she would see her goal out to its conclusion.

When she finally returned to her hiding place it was late afternoon. The secluded spot was well camouflaged, a large overhang passed overhead as if it was trying to touch the dense foliage of the trees just below and created a large, natural tunnel. The raptor was crouched low to the ground and turned its head at her approach. A gloved hand came to rest on the end of its angular snout and her serious expression softened for a moment. It crooned softly in response, nudging against the palm placed on its steel skin.

"It seems there are going to be extra players arriving soon," she said, smiling a little as the large head in front of her tilted to one side in a display of curiosity, "The Colonel and his men will be joining the festivities it seems, so we may have to be a little more careful." When it growled questioningly she simply chuckled, "Oh no, we're still going through with it, that much I can promise you. Now let's go."

Once night had fallen Sierra sat atop of the ebony head of the raptor, the long metal case lying in front of her unopened. The pavilion was tiny from this distance almost two kilometres away. Tugging open the trio of clasps that held it firmly shut the torchlight glinted ominously against the steel parts inside. With meticulous movements the fragments were pieced together to create a powerful rifle. Satisfied with the assembly she lie prone, right eye lining up with the scope and the toy sized building jumped closer with magnified clarity.

In her mind's eye the lights from the grand display of fireworks flashed across the windows of the skybox, but the lights from within made the distraction negligible. The young Emperor and his betrothed were accompanied by his pair of personal bodyguards that had served him for years and mingled the most influential of the Empire's noble houses, a few celebrities and those who were the titans of the Imperial business world. The green digital cross-hairs hovered in the centre of the scope, in the bottom corner a tiny stream of data displayed the distance and wind speed. She would watch as her intended target mingled with the other elitists. There was not a person walking the planet that she despised more, he had taken everything and now it was time to return the favour.

Sierra willed her body to relax, taking a few slow deep breaths to find her natural point of aim and adjusting her position as needed until she was satisfied. With her finger curled around the trigger she held a breath and fired, the click of the empty chamber a dark whisper of things to come.

* * *

This wasn't going well.

The festivities were due to begin and still First Panzer Division, nor any of the other countless people who were placed on security, hadn't seen a single sign of their would be sniper since they had arrived the day before. The patchy cloud cover wasn't helping matters either, trying to find a predominantly black clad pilot and zoid under the cover of night was not going to be easy at the best of times. While the Iron Kong travelled further away from the city as they increased the area to search, Karl couldn't help the doubts that plagued him. Why would someone such as an assassin have even bothered to help him to begin with? It didn't make sense. Maybe the general had been wrong, or it was a case of mistaken identity.

Stopping for a moment he brought up a map of the area with several points indicating where ideal vantage points could be, depending on a marksman's skill. First Panzer had started a sweep beginning from those closest to the ceremony and work their way out. The map was linked across the entire unit, updating every time one of them searched the designated area and ticked it off, the indicators turning from blue to red when they were done. Marking off his own current position he moved on, there weren't many places left to look.

Sierra felt a slight tingle of anticipation as she watched the lavish VIP skybox slowly fill with the select group of the Empire's movers and shakers. Some hovered around the tables offering up an exquisite choice of delectable delicacies and rich morsels, of vintage wines and top shelf champagnes. Others milled about near the windows, watching the colourful performances below or striking up idle conversation. The Emperor made his rounds greeting them all with his arm loosely linked with that of his betrothed. The green cross hairs passed over him as they searched, hungry for the appearance of the intended target.

Rudolph cast a brief glance over at Russo and Viola, they had been even more alert than usual and he knew it could only mean one thing; there was someone out there with bad intentions. They had been with him so long now that he had worked out every tell and quirk each had when there was a potential threat to his well-being, but if it was truly a threat to his life he trusted them implicitly to inform him of what he would need to know if he needed to know it. His attention quickly shifted as another, most esteemed guest arrived, if it wasn't for this man than the tournament probably wouldn't have gotten off the ground at all.

"Lord Tamsett, such a pleasure to see you."

Aspen bowed to the young ruler, "Good evening, Majesty. The pleasure is mine." He took the hand of the Emperor's bride to be and a whispering kiss brushed over the smooth skin of her knuckles, "Lady Marian. You become more radiant with every day that passes."

Her cheeks flushed the colour of a dusty pink as she offered up a small curtsey. It was hard not to react the way she did, already he was receiving certain looks from some of the other ladies in the room, regardless if they were married or not. As undeniably handsome as he was, it felt as if there was something just under the surface that intimidated her. She didn't know why, he had been nothing but courteous and the very epitome of what the idealistic noble gentleman should be whenever they had met, but occasionally she would catch a certain look in his eyes. Cold and emotionless, like he would be the sort of would derive great amusement from the suffering of others. What concerned her most was that Rudolph never seemed to notice it, and the man had made himself a most valuable source of council for the Emperor.

Aspen mingled here and there, taking a flute of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter as he moved over to the plate glass window. His focus wasn't on the festivities but further beyond into the inky darkness of the night. She was out there somewhere, no doubt with his head lined up in her sights at this very moment. Briefly he gazed down at the bubbly alcohol and smirked to himself.

_Deluded girl. Take the shot, for all the good it will do you_.

The cross-hairs flashed from green to red and Sierra's eyes narrowed; the night was here, the time now. If there were ever a bigger or more perfect example of treacherous arrogance personified she had never seen it. Raging anger was corralled into a keen, knife like edge, steeling her nerve and hardening already unyielding resolve. So focused on the man in her sights she didn't even notice the lumbering silhouette of the distant Iron Kong that was drawing closer.

Something flashed in the distance as the moon peeked out from behind its covers, the glint unnatural in the immediate surroundings. Magnifying the spot he bought it up on screen, the figures in the image unmistakable as the moonlight ran along the long barrel of the rifle. Having helped him or not, he couldn't allow the crime to pass. The Iron Kong lunged forward, Karl willing the giant ape to charge as fast as it could.

_Why?_

The muzzle flashed as the shot was fired, the sound akin to a crack of booming thunder. A rush of long awaited triumph flooded through her, though came crashing down just as quickly, unable to accept what she was seeing through the scope.

_An energy shield?!_

Aspen looked at the spot where the round had struck, admittedly impressed with the accuracy that lined up perfectly between his eyes. He bought the delicate glass to his lips and sipped at the chilled beverage as though the life threatening moment hadn't even registered. A second followed, then a third and it took all he had not to smile as the shield protecting the building flashed brightly with each shot. It seemed she was rather upset with his hidden ace in the hole.

"Lord Tamsett!"

"It's quite alright, Majesty," he replied calmly as others around him panicked, "Though I have to ask for you to forgive me. I have known about the possible attempt on my life tonight for quite some time now, so I thought it best to have this shield installed in secret." This time he didn't fight the impulse to smirk as he raised his glass to the night, as if to taunt his would be killer. "Now I leave it in the hands of our diligent soldiers to bring this reprobate to justice."

Sierra swore loudly, then again out of surprise as the raptor moved suddenly as its proximity sensors picked up multiple units. Slipping off the edge she barely got a grip between the armoured plates on the side of the zoid's head as the rifle clattered on the ground below. With effort she managed to gain a foothold and scramble into the cockpit just as several Helcats appeared, the crest of an eagle with wings spread and clutching a Gladius sword in its talons on the top of their heads undeniably familiar.

They were Aspen Tamsett's personal army.


	4. Uneasy Truce

_Helcats? Where did those come from?_

Karl had little time to contemplate this new development as a battle broke out on the spot. He tried calling in the rest of his unit but something was playing havoc with communications and scrambling the signal; he was on his own. A small curse escaped him when another Helcat appeared and opened fire on him, only to be nailed by a direct hit from its left side. A flash of silver dashed past with two more of the panthers in pursuit until the Kong's fist smashed into one and knocked it into the second before the ape's heavy armour was again peppered by more shots.

Why they were attacking him as well he had no idea, but it was something he could sort out after he put an end to this skirmish. The modified Iron Kong was more agile than its appearance let on, the boosters it possessed giving it an edge over the regular model and surprised a few more of his opposition before they wised up and stayed out of close range, only to meet the wrath of its heavy weapons. Despite the numbers their armour and weapons were light, unable to stand up to his superior fire-power as his zoid shrugged off whatever they could throw at him.

With the gorilla being the biggest target now in the fight all attention seemed to turn on the Colonel. While a part of her was grateful for the distraction, Sierra couldn't help but wonder why. Weren't they all supposed to be on the same side? The raptor suddenly jerked to the left of its on volition, avoiding another Helcat that had been on the receiving end of an iron knuckle sandwich. A small beep from the console made her take a quick glance at the message and rolled her eyes.

"I am not. And since when did you develop such a sassy streak?" Focusing on the battle she darted past the Kong to take out more trying to sneak in from behind, talons tearing through the light armour of one while the pulse rifles took out the other. "Actually, never mind that. Just find out what is jamming the communication signals so we can take it out."

They continued to battle for a while longer before the console gave another beep, this time bringing up a small image of an area not too far away.

_What is that?_

As the numbers began to thin out Karl saw the raptor take off at high speed and he gave chase, he was _not_ going to give this up. He needed answers and by hell or high water he was going to get them. He had been correct about it being fast, finding it near impossible to keep pace and the last few Helcats nipping at his heels were even more of hindrance. However it didn't go far, the bolts of its pulse rifles streaking through the night as he disposed of the last of their attackers, destroying the large back fin of a nearby zoid that had been lurking nearby. With a few more well placed shots a loud burst of static came over the line as the battle finally ended, announcing that communications were finally back online.

"Thanks for the assist, Colonel. I'd love to stick around and see you try and explain this, but I've got places to be."

Karl spared a quick glance at the fallen zoid, recognising it as a prototype Gator that was used primarily for electronic warfare. A growing gut instinct was telling him that something was not right with this picture, but he wasn't going to get straight forward explanations through official channels. Following the retreating raptor he couldn't help a growing suspicion that the Council was behind this evening's skirmish. He had to find out why, and what this rogue pilot had to do with it all.

For some reason she had yet to fathom she allowed the Colonel to tag along, though making him push the Iron Kong as fast as it could to keep up. If he wanted to stay then he would have to get rid of it. There was no way she was going to be slowed down by something the size of a small office building. After what had seemed like a reasonable distance the raptor had finally come to a halt and the Kong followed suit, both pilots climbing out of their respective zoids.

"So, you really are a sniper," he finally stated after they had stared each other down for a tense moment, wondering what move the other would make.

Sierra merely shrugged. "I am whatever I need to be. Survival of the fittest and all that."

"Who was your target?"

She laughed, though the sound was void of mirth and had a bitter edge, "_Both_ of us were targets of a small army of Helcats, and you're more concerned with who's head I was trying to put a bullet through? You have an odd set of priorities, Colonel." When she looked up at him it was obvious he wasn't going to let this one go. Sighing tiredly she pinched the bridge of her nose, not in the mood for an argument. "It wasn't the beloved boy Emperor, if that's your concern."

The information eased his mind a little, though the annoyed indifference with which she waved it off agitated him.

First the shield, then the Helcats and now for some insane reason she was allowing an Imperial officer tag along; the night had turned into one giant mess. Aspen had known, it was the only way to explain the first two, just one big set up that she had willingly and eagerly stepped right on into. But why did they seem so hell bent on getting the Colonel involved? What was he to them?

"What is it?" he asked cautiously as she watched him intently for a long moment.

"What did you do to get on their hit list?"

"Excuse me?"

"The Crows," she replied, "What did you do?"

His surprise was evident, how could she possibly know about the Council?

She continued to look at him expectantly for an answer. "Well, Colonel? You can either tell me, or I find out for myself."

"Like I told you before," he replied, trying not to grind his teeth in aggravation, "It's classified."

"Suit yourself."

She went to move past him with every intention of getting in the Kong and out of instinct he seized her by the arm. The whole night may have taken a bizarre twist, but he was still a soldier and had his duty. What he didn't expect was the speed of which she moved or the strength of the action. Her arm twisted in his grip and her hand grasping his own, pulling him forward and bringing a knee up to knock the wind out of him then driving down her free elbow down on the base of his skull.

"Easy way it is," she said as he fell in a heap, "Nighty night, sweet prince."

When he woke up his head was pounding, though his biggest concern was that his arms had been secured behind his back against the foot of the raptor. Trying to shake off the pain he looked around and noticed the cockpit to the Iron Kong was wide open. His jaw clenched at the invasion of his personal space, just what the hell was she doing up there? With some difficulty he managed to get his bound hands to where he kept a small hidden blade only to find it missing. It somehow didn't surprise him, if their positions had been reversed the first thing he would have done would be to check her for any weapons as well. Shuffling around Karl managed to get close enough to one of the large talons, carefully using the sharp blade to cut through his bonds. He cautiously stood up and went to make a break for his zoid when his path was impeded by her own as it moved to stand between them with a fierce snarl, forcing him to retreat a few paces.

Just what was this zoid? They weren't supposed to so... sentient. Not unless an organoid was fused with the core.

"It's alright, we're almost done here anyway."

At the sound of its pilot's voice it slowly backed away, though not without a low, threatening growl. Keeping a wary eye on the machine he climbed up the Kong to find her going through confidential files, most notably those belonging to his current investigation on the Council.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Download these, we'll need them for later."

"I'm not downloading anything," he snapped, only to see a link open up on the screen that began to rapidly copy the data. Noticing she had plugged something into a nearby port he quickly deduced which one was doing the downloading.

"Seems like you have a lot of questions about the Council of Crows, Colonel," she stated, the surprisingly pensive tone giving him pause for a moment, his hand hovering a few inches away from where she had inserted the link. He looked over his shoulder and her attention slowly drifted from the screen to his own expression that was a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "What if I told you I can give you some answers?"

"I'm listening," he answered carefully, not entirely trusting of the evolving situation. She did knock him out after all.

"I'll tell you, but first we have to deal with this." A diagnostic appeared when Sierra typed in a few commands, displaying what appeared to be the readout of the Iron Kong's systems. It almost appeared to be normal aside from one tiny deviation. He probably wouldn't have noticed it, or put it down simply as something to get maintenance to check out when it was convenient. "You see that Fluctuation? Somehow they've gotten into your zoid and placed a tracking bug on it."

"How?"

"I'm not entirely sure. They're tricky like that, last place you'd go looking for one, isn't it. Unfortunately I don't know how to disable it without sending its own signal to destroy the core." A cursory glance told her that he was not likely going to entertain the destructive solution, "If you don't want to blow it up then you've got two choices. Stay here and wait for them to try and splatter you across half the countryside, or you abandon it."

Karl fought the urge to grimace. Destroying the Kong was far from desirable, but did he really want to leave it to fall into enemy hands?

"I need a moment to think about this."

Sierra simply nodded in understanding and left him in the solitude of the zoid's cockpit. On one hand he had owned the Iron Kong for so long now that he was rather attached to it, but on the other he needed answers. But just how far was he willing to go for them? If he let this opportunity slip through his hands Karl doubted he'd ever see this strange pilot again, and even without this tracking device to worry about there was no way he'd be able to keep up with her smaller, much faster zoid. With a heavy sigh he bought up a command prompt, hesitating for just a moment before crossing the point of no return.

Sierra was leaning against a nearby tree when she heard the distinct crackle and pop of electronics overloading. Looking up at the Iron Kong the cockpit had gone dark, the smell of burnt plastic and circuitry hung faintly in the air. As he jumped down she noticed he was back to appearing as the professional, stoic soldier.

"Let's go."

* * *

"We've found the Iron Kong, Sir. No sign of Shubaltz or the other one."

"Is there any particular reason why they left it behind?"

"Appears to be sabotage of some sort, the whole command console has been slagged."

It was a standard military tactic, destroy the CPU so no-one could retrieve any potentially sensitive information and make the zoid inoperable. Still, the night wasn't a total failure; Shubaltz had torn through his own personal security that he had contributed for the 'protection' of the festivities, making him look distinctly guilty in the attempt on Aspen's life. With no audio logs to back up any claims the Colonel could make on the contrary he could make up any story he pleased since all the physical evidence would be in the industrialist's favour.

"Keep me informed of any abnormalities you may find."

"Understood, Sir."

The call ended and a moment later he pressed the button for the intercom that resided on his secretary's desk.

"Annette, get me the General on the line."

"Of course, Mr Tamsett," came the disembodied reply, "Also the time you have requested from the Imperial Broadcasting Commission has been approved. They have you scheduled in for seven o'clock tonight."

"Excellent. Thank you, Annette"

By the time he was done tonight Shubatlz's life would become very unpredictable indeed...

* * *

_Shorter than usual, but life being what it is has been throwing unpleasant curve balls. Just needed to post something, lest the story come to a grinding halt altogether._


End file.
